A Queen at Last
by LemonsandFluff
Summary: Mia is finally Queen, but she's struggling. Her confidence is easily shaken, and her relationship with Nicholas must take the backseat, according to her grandmother-as much as she doesn't want it to. Follows Mia for a year after she's crowned.


"You know," said Lily, watching her best friend, "you should probably eat something."  
>Mia dropped her fork with a clatter, putting her head in her hands. "I can't do this!" she said, voice muffled, "I was stupid to think I ever could!"<br>Lily looked down at her plate of fine china. "Look, Mia. I've told you _over and over _again that you're doing a good job. But even if you were a screw up, this _is _your job now."  
>Mia took a deep breath, her tears sticking in her throat. Lily was right, of course, but there was just so much pressure. It had seemed like a perfectly wonderful ending to a fairytale, the day of her coronation. She'd already abolished an unfair law, and Nicholas told her he loved her. But she hadn't really thought far enough ahead. After the romance and power of the best day of her life, the cameras had packed their bags and headed home. Mia was left to run Genovia.<br>"I've got that meeting with the Prime Minister of Sweden tomorrow," she said, fighting down panic. "If it doesn't go well…"  
>"You'll fix it." Lily said firmly. "You're already on good terms with him, Mia. Don't worry about it. Everyone in the world knows that you're uncommonly young and inexperienced. They had a first day too."<br>"But what if they use that to _their _gain? I don't think I could stand it if I gave Genovia to Australia or something."  
>"There are five people in this world that have your back <em>no matter what<em>." Lily held up five fingers. "Me." She put one down, "Joe. The Prime Minister." Her ring and middle fingers fell. "Your grandmother." She put down her pointer finger. "Nicholas."  
>At the mention of his name, Mia's face softened. "None of those five people are going to let you screw up <em>at all<em>. Your grandmother ruled for thirty years, with Joe there to observe. I'm smart enough to tell you when you're making a huge mistake. And Nicholas _loves you_, Mia. He won't let you ruin anything."  
>Mia nodded, turning her head to the window and reliving the last few months of her life. "I did open that shelter," she said as her confidence grew, "and Nicholas <em>does <em>love me, doesn't he?" She laughed out loud, as if surprised that it could ever be the case.  
>Lily speared a sausage, nibbling on its end as she watched her friend return to her usual self. Mia finished up quickly, then scooted back her chair.<br>"I've got to go pick out an outfit for that meeting," she said, "and consult Grandma about what I should say. Thanks, Lily," she smiled, kissing her swiftly on the cheek.  
>As Mia walked down the marble hall, her thoughts strayed to all the things she wanted to accomplish within this next year. She'd already opened the orphanage, as well as five others like it, and she'd hosted over a dozen different heads-of-state. But there were still the rest of the world-leaders, the people she'd have to contribute to give to become part of the United Nations, and the money she'd have to raise or borrow to make Genovia the first-ever completely green nation. Just thinking about it exhausted her.<br>Rather than heading down the south corridor to her suite, Mia turned to the north corridor and to her grandmother's and Joe's rooms. They'd agreed to stay on for the next year or so as consultants to the Queen, but really they wanted to make sure Mia was settled alright before they left.  
>She knocked gently on the door.<br>"Come in," Clarisse said.  
>"Morning, grandma. Morning, Joe." Mia smiled at her family, perching on the edge of a velvet couch. Clarisse was standing facing the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the garden, and Joe was writing a letter at his desk. The room smelled like summer air and seemed to Mia the perfect place to live.<br>"Good morning, darling," Clarisse said, turning from the window. "How did you sleep last night?"  
>"Not very well." Mia said honestly. "I've been panicking about that meeting with the Prime Minister of Sweden. I was wondering if you could give me any tips?"<br>"Certainly. Let me see…well, he's sort of a prude if you want to know the truth of it. Wear something very old-school, and don't crack too many jokes. If Nicholas is there, you two should probably act more like acquaintances than…" her face screwed up as she tried to think of an appropriate word.  
>"A couple." Joe finished.<br>"Exactly. And he should be on board with Genovia Going Green, so make sure to bring that up. He has very good connections with Finland, Russia, and Japan, so if you need an in…"  
>"Thanks, grandma," Mia said, standing up to hug her.<br>"Anytime, sweetheart. I wanted to talk with you a little bit, though, Mia."  
>"Sure," Mia said, startled.<br>"It's about Nicholas."  
>Joe rolled his eyes. "I told her not to bring it up, Mia. I tried!"<br>"Hush, Joseph. I think that…well, I'd _strongly encourage _you to start thinking about the future. I'm sure you love each other very much, but I think that a break-up two years down the line would be worse than a break-up now."  
>Mia flushed red, her dark hair sticking uncomfortably to the back of her neck. "I've just been so busy…"<br>"We know," Joe said, "but I think the point Clarisse is trying to make is that…well, how long can you keep your affections in check? And what could the consequences be if you cannot? It doesn't have to be public, but you need to start thinking ahead. It's all very well for a San Franciscan girl of twenty-three to date-even live-with her boyfriend, but for the Queen of Genovia, things must be _much _classier."  
>Mia nodded miserably, said her goodbyes, and wandered down the hundreds of halls in the palace listlessly. It wasn't until she was right in front of his rooms that Mia realized that-as per usual-her feet had taken her to Nicholas.<br>Just as she began to walk away, Nicholas walked out of his room. His brow furrowed in concern as soon as he caught sight of Mia.  
>"Mia! Good morning! Are you alright?"<br>In one of the most mortifying scenes of her life, Mia burst into tears. "I-I'm so _t-tired _of having t-to look ahead-d and I hate t-that you get p-pressured t-too and I'll c-completely understand if you want to l-leave m-me—" she gasped.  
>Wordlessly, Nicholas took her into his arms, sliding slowly down to the heavily carpeted floor of the Northwestern Corridor.<br>After a few minutes, Mia calmed enough to stop crying. As he gently pushed her hair away from her wet face, Nicholas finally spoke.  
>"What is this about, love."<br>"I'm so sorry, Nicholas. I've been worried about the P-prime Minister visiting. And then I went to my g-grandmother's rooms this morning and she said—" Mia stopped, hiccupping a little and leaning into Nicholas's shoulder more deeply.  
>"She said that I needed to look ahead. That we-as a couple-needed to look ahead. And I love you very much, Nicholas, but I have to <em>rule<em>. I have to be a leader before I can be a wife, or a mother. I g-gave myself to this country; I will not break that promise. But I do love you so much, and….I know we've talked about it before…"  
>Nicholas smiled and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a black velvet box. He popped the lid, showing a beautiful diamond engagement ring. "Whenever you're ready, Mia. Always and forever. You know that."<br>"Oh!" Mia said, reaching out as if to touch it. Mid-reach, her hand changed path, and she cradled Nicholas's face with her hand. They kissed, long and deep.  
>"I love you, Mia," said Nicholas. Mia gently closed the lid of the box.<br>"I love you too, Nicholas. We've just got to stay strong. In a few months, it'll be time."  
>Nicholas nodded and kissed her forehead, then both of her cheeks.<br>"In the meantime, I have to find a prudish outfit for the Prime Minister. Help me?" Mia asked, standing up.  
>Nicholas grinned wickedly. "Sure. Although prudish might be a hard thing for you to be." He reached out a hand to help her up, thinking to himself as he did how beautiful she was. He thought about how wonderful it would be to wake up beside her every day, just like that morning that seemed so long ago. And how perfect she would be, no matter what she decided to do: when she was his wife, it would be as though fireworks were going off. When-if-she became a mother, she would be a spectacular one.<br>And as a ruler, she had already proved to be a woman that would go down in history. 


End file.
